Developers expect the Fort Worth Public Market building to be ready to welcome visitors sometime this fall. It marks a significant milestone in its revitalization.

This follows Wilks Development’s 2022 announcement of a $50 million plan to breathe new life into the historic Art Deco structure, which had suffered decades of neglect.

The redevelopment includes commercial spaces for retail and restaurants.

They will also build a senior living center, “The Harden,” named after the building’s original developer, John J. Harden.

Wilks Development broke ground in June 2024, initially aiming for a September 2025 opening for both the market and The Harden. There were challenges, however, in the redevelopment process.

“With the building being built in the 1930s, there were challenges with certain things that were missing from the original blueprints, and some of the utilities were not marked in the original blueprints,” said Nicole Ellis, the director of marketing for Wilks Development.

She added that the firm worked closely with Encore and the city of Fort Worth to address the issues.

“Another obstacle we faced was damage from previous fires in the building,” Ellis said. “The most recent was in July of 2022 before we broke ground. We were planning to just do patchwork to the ceiling, but we had to go through the Texas Historical Commission to get permission to just redo the whole ceiling because of the damage from the fires.”

The Fort Worth Public Market building, which opened in 1930, earned a Texas State Historical Marker designation in 1981. Wilks Development acquired the property from Bob Simpson in 2015.

Currently, Wilks Development is collaborating with a chef to establish three restaurant concepts within the market. These include a fine dining establishment, a café and a cocktail bar.

 “Before we can move forward with the concepts, we must have the layouts approved by the Texas Historical Commission,” Ellis said.

The Texas Historical Commission rules limit changes beyond the restoration of the original structure for significant buildings. Wilks Development is working closely with historical consultant Nancy McCoy of McCoy Collaborative to ensure compliance with these guidelines.

“Currently, we are at 80% completion of the project,” Ellis said. The Harden, originally set for an end-of-August opening, is now on track to open sometime in mid-September. They expect the Fort Worth Public Market building to open sometime in October 2025.